Wait For It
by Genysys
Summary: Tessa Travis has always had a bad deal at life. She has no one except her best friend...who also happens to be a parasite- a symbiotic being named Wraith. Her life goes completely down the drain when she is labeled as a biological weapon. Once discovered by none other than the Avengers, they want nothing more than to keep Tessa safe. But can they with Tessa being such a target?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone! I'm new here to FanFiction! I have a big interest in Marvel and I couldn't resist in doing a small crossover between Venom and the Avengers.**

 **(BTW, the Venom movie was AWESOME. And to those who have not seen the awesomeness, there are some spoilers. So read at your own discretion.)**

 **This story includes my OC as well as all of the Avengers. This takes place longgg before the events of the Infinity War. Also, it is rated T for some language and mentions of drug use.**

 **I hope everyone enjoys! Reviews are encouraged and you may leave your opinions and constructive criticism is always welcomed!**

* * *

" _I'm hungry."_

Tessa rolls her eyes as she strolls down the leaf-filled Manhattan streets. The air is chilly with the sudden season change, making Tessa tug her jacket close to her body as she walks.

She feels her stomach growl and the voice in her head becomes louder. " _Are you listening to me? I'm hungry."_

"And what would you like me to do? I have _no_ money to go and get anything for us to eat. It takes _a lot_ to feed you, you know," Tessa huffs angrily, walking down the street towards her rinky-dink apartment that she shares with her mother. Anyone looking at her would think she's insane- she's talking aloud to a voice who isn't audible to their own ears. They'd think it's a made up voice. They'd think she'd belong in a mental hospital or something.

Sadly, she wishes that were the case. Sometimes, she just wants the voice in her head to be just that: _a voice._

The voice in her head pipes up once again and she feels her body being pulled to the side. " _Come on. I want Mexican for dinner tonight."_

"Food or the actual person?"

" _Both wouldn't be bad, actually."_

"Wraith!" Tessa scowls. Wraith has been with her for the last year. She is unsure how they have coexisted with each other, but she has grown to love Wraith in some sort of weird way.

Wraith chuckles darkly. " _I'm not sorry."_

"You can wait until we are home. You like peanut butter and jelly, right?" Tessa knows that her other-worldly friend is rather picky once it comes to human food. Wraith has a sweet tooth and enjoys ice cream, chocolate, and anything peanut butter flavored. His favorite food, though, happens to be baked chicken.

Other than that, he can eat just about anything that walks or breathes. Tessa, however, doesn't particularly enjoy that part of Wraith's food preference.

Wraith grumbles lowly. " _Fine, but make it with more peanut butter than jelly."_

Happy that her inner monster is satisfied, she makes the walk back to her tiny apartment. The apartment building is huge, yet overcrowded. It's not the safest place, either, but Tessa doesn't fear because of Wraith. She knows that the otherworldly creature will take care of her and she takes care of him. They care for each other in one way or another.

In reality, they're each other's only friend.

Tessa climbs the stairs leading to her third floor apartment. She moves towards the left side of the hallway, finding the fourth door marked as C34. She fishes her key out of her pocket, unlocking the door and she walks inside. Her eyes immediately find her mother, the woman exhausted and slumped down on the couch.

" _Look at that. She decided to come home,"_ Wraith says, his voice nearing a growl.

Tessa huffs. "Leave it alone, Wraith." She moves towards her mother, grabbing the throw blanket from the back of the couch to cover her mother.

Her mother, Leah, has always been in and out of Tessa's life. Her mother is an addict, and Tessa comes home more than often to see pill bottles on their coffee table or straws littering the floor and fine, white powder lining the table sometimes. Then, when Tessa least expects it, Leah will leave and stay gone for days at a time. When she comes home, it's almost as if she's dead and it worries Tessa to no end.

It's such a horrid habit her mother had developed, but Tessa is powerless to stop it. All she can do is love her mother and do her best to try and help her.

" _I can eat her, you know. We'd be messed up for a few days, but it'd take care of your problem,"_ Wraith says, obviously not a fan of Leah. He has often told Tessa that she only need rely on him and he'd get her whatever she wanted.

Tessa huffs. " _No._ I know that Mom isn't the best person, but she's my mom. I can't just let you eat her."

" _Humans...you are so benevolent. Well, you are."_

"I just can't leave her to suffer," Tessa says, going to the kitchen to make her snack. The sandwich would hardly hold them over, but it'd have to do without any food in the house. She, as promised, makes the sandwich with more peanut butter than her favorite grape jelly and she snags the bag of plain potato chips from the nearly empty cupboard.

She sits that the kitchen table, guzzling a glass of water and she sandwich is gone within a minute of her sitting down. Her stomach still rumbles hungrily and she frowns.

"You eat too much."

" _I'm starving. I'm nearly contemplating going back out to find something to snack on. There was this German Shepherd that looked delicious."_

"No! There will be no killing of any furry creatures," Tessa scowls.

Wraith releases a huff and grumbles something Tessa doesn't quite catch. Tessa can only laugh because for an otherworldly, all knowing alien, Wraith acts like the biggest child she has ever met.

Then, Tessa retreats to her room after cleaning up her mess. She also makes sure that her mother is alive and breathing before hiding herself away inside the room.

Her bedroom is a safe haven away from her usual insanity. It's tiny but cozy and safe- something even Wraith himself enjoys. Tessa has hung dark curtains over her window to drown out sunlight and the creeps who may try to look in. Old Christmas lights have been strung up around the room, lighting the room lowly. There are posters on the walls of rock bands and movies. It's everything a teenager's room should be, even though everything is second hand and salvaged.

Tessa goes over to her bed and flops down onto her stomach, arms pillowing her head. She sighs heavily with the rumbling of her stomach, deciding to just go to sleep than to live with the annoying hunger pains.

" _Go to sleep, Tessa. I've got us,"_ Wraith says softly.

Tessa smiles a little. "Thank you."

" _No problem. Now shut it and sleep."_

…

 _She watches the small television mounted on her nightstand._

She woke up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep. This led her to turn on the television, flipping through the channels before landing on a news report talking about the Life Foundation. It talks about the trials done and the so called "aliens" they brought down from space.

Tessa knows they're referring to the symbiotes. She briefly recalls there being at least three or four. Five at the most. That's how Wraith found her- he told her he wanted a way out of the madness. He went from person to person, none of them able to perfectly host him up until Tessa. At first, she was mortified of Wraith. She was tired and ill due to her body working to accept the parasite. Then, she grew to enjoy the parasite's company over time and Wraith's presence stopped taking such a toll on her body.

Wraith protected her and she protected him.

" _You should go to sleep."_

Tessa sighs, rolling around to find a comfortable position. "I'm fine. I'm just watching a little T.V."

" _It's a news report on Life Foundation. It's bullshit. It's the last thing you need to be watching,"_ Wraith deadpans. " _The news lies all the time."_

"Do you think that it'll make me change my mind about you?" Tessa questions, her eyes watching as pictures of the victims of the other symbiotes flash on screen. Dead bodies are slumped over on floors and she sees black, slimy creatures lying limp on the floor.

" _I don't want you to fear me, Tessa,"_ says Wraith.

"I don't. I know you won't hurt me," Tessa mumbles, silently thinking of something that she has never asked since Wraith joined her. "Are there any more of you, Wraith?"

Wraith makes a sound that Tessa thinks is one of thinking. " _I cannot say for sure. Many of my kind died during their horrid trials."_

"What about that reporter who got into the labs. Eddie Brock?" Tessa questions.

" _It may be possible that he could be a host, too,"_ Wraith says. " _We'll never know for sure, and it is best we leave it that way."_

Tessa only hums in agreement, shutting off the television and she lets her eyes drift closed. Wraith goes silent and Tessa begins to fall into a peaceful oblivion when she hears a small crash coming from the living room where her mother is.

Tessa gets up, but she feels a foreign pull on her body. " _Tessa, leave her alone. You don't have the energy."_

"Just let me make sure she hasn't hurt herself." Tessa knows that her mother is a mess upon waking up after one of her benders. Leah stumbles and falls and wobbles all over the apartment, making messes all over the place. Tessa usually goes to round Leah up and she tucks her back into bed after coaxing her to drink water.

Tessa ventures from her room and down the small hallway, finding herself in the darkness of the living room. "Mom? Mom, are you okay?" She squints in hopes of making out her mother's figure and she doesn't see her on the couch. Frowning, Tessa walks into the kitchen. "Mom? What the hell are you doing?" She hears shuffling and she wonders what she'll be facing this time with her mother home.

Tessa feels something warm and wet on the bottoms of her feet and she frowns, fumbling for the light switch. The kitchen fills with dim light and she spies her mother sprawled in the floor. Her skin is pallid and drained of blood. Said blood is all over the floor, swelling from a bullet wound in her head.

A red dot focuses in on Tessa and she hears a quiet breath in the closet. She's trembling all over and her breathing comes in short, rapid gasps.

" _Run, Tessa!"_

Her body is flung backwards, the moment not her own doing. She feels Wraith taking over her body, sending her rocketing for the nearest window. Before she can reach the window, she hears screaming men and the whizzing of bullets. She screeches when one grazes by her legs, making her stumble. Wraith, however, doesn't let her fall.

Tessa releases a trembling sob. "Wraith! M-My mom…"

" _She's gone, but we're not,"_ Wraith says, flinging them both out of the window. The parasite's superhuman abilities land them in the alleyway between apartment building, but all Tessa sees is flashing blue lights and men crowding both exits.

Red lasers focus in on Teresa and the teenager shakes, her thoughts mingling with Wraith's of how they'll escape this situation.

"Teresa Travis, we are with the United States Department of Warfare. Come out with your hands up or we will not hesitate to shoot," a voice echoes from the streets on both sides of her.

Tessa shakes all over, thinking of her route of escape when she hears Wraith's voice in her head. " _I've got us, Tessa. It's gonna be okay."_ Then, she allows Wraith to take over her body. She feels the black tendrils of the Symbiote to take over, wrapping around her arms and her legs. Then, Wraith's being slowly takes over and Tessa feels comforted by the Symbiote.

" _We're going to be okay. Do you trust me, Tessa?"_

"Always," Tessa replies, letting the Symbiote take her body over.

She watches the events like a movie. Wraith makes an attempt to escape, but he kills a few men in the process. He dismembers some and others he devours whole- just anything to escape. Then, he's scaling building and sailing through the air, sending him and Tessa far away from the violence behind them.

There are gunshots and Tessa can feel the bullets whizzing by herself and Wraith. A few tear few Wraith and she can feel his pain for a moment before he heals again.

Then, before Tessa knows it, she and Wraith are far away from the violence in a place she doesn't know. Wraith hides them in an alleyway when, finally, he grants Tessa control of her body. The shaken teenager stumbles through the alley, her bare feet stepping on glass and she doesn't know what else.

" _This is far enough. We're safe,"_ Wraith says, but Tessa doubts him a little.

Terror and exhaustion takes over and Tessa collapses. She leans heavily against the brick wall of a building, shaking from the cold air.

"You think we are?"

" _I know we are."_

It's the last thing she remembers before exhaustion pulls her under


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, my fellow readers and writers...I do apologize for not updating for nearly a month. Work absolutely sucks and I've been so sick it's pitiful. But I FINALLY have you a chapter I hope makes up for my absence.**

 **I hope everyone enjoys and reviews! Thoughts are appreciated and if corrections need to be made, let me know so I can fix them.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _She wakes up to the sound of beeping._

Tessa opens her eyes slowly, the mere action seeming to drain her of energy. She's met with the dim lights of a sterile, white room and she can smell disinfectants.

She picks her head up, aware of plastic beneath her nose. Reaching up, Tessa pulls away the plastic piece feeding oxygen into her and she feels an uncomfortable tug at her hand and she sees an IV taped down to her. With a trembling hand, she discards the IV and ignores the blood welling out of her hand- Wraith would heal it.

Swinging her feet over the bed, Tessa sees that her clothes are missing. Instead, she's dressed in dark sweat pants and a white T-shirt. "Wraith? Are you okay?" Her voice is rough from disuse and she can hear Wraith beginning to stir, groggy from their time under.

" _Tessa?"_ She hears the familiar, comforting grumble from the Symbiote and she sighs in relief. " _Where are we? Are you hurt?"_

Tessa shakes her head. "I'm fine- promise." She looks around the room, taking in a hospital-like vibe and she frowns, her heartbeat spiking as she thinks they've been captured. "I...I don't know where we are." The events from last night plays over and all she can see is her dead mother and see the red lasers focusing in on her. _God,_ she can hear them screaming for her to stop...to surrender herself over.

Wraith makes a noise. " _We're going to get out of here safe. I swear it."_

She believes him, too.

So, she staggers to her feet and shoots for the door. Her legs wobble from not using her limbs for God knows how long. She grabs the door handle, wrenching the thing open and she peeks down the hallway, the corridor long with several doors on each side and another hall leading to the right.

 _This is gonna be fun._

Tessa creeps out of the room, ignoring the ringing machines that signal she's disconnected. They're but background noise as she darts out into the hall, her bare feet slapping against the tile. She passes the doors with success, the rooms being completely dark with no one inside...so she hopes.

Then, she's turning the corner when she sees a blur of color and a loud gasp. She scream echoes through the empty hall and she scrambles backwards, falling on her butt in the process. She can already feel Wraith bubbling under her skin if needed to lash out.

" _Hey!_ It's okay, kid. You're okay!" The voice is distinctively male and Tessa makes out a man with dark hair and dark eyes. He swears a white doctor's coat and she shakes all over as she backs herself into a corner.

Tessa tries to ease her racing heart. "Leave us alone!" Her vision blurs during her panic and she feels Wraith begin to come out with the rise of her emotions.

"You're okay. I won't hurt you," soothes the man. "You need to calm down, okay?"

It takes a moment, but Tessa's breathing slows and her vision clears so she can get a good look at the man. This time, his figure his clearer and Tessa can make out his form besides his dark hair and his eyes and the doctor's coat. Familiarity settles within her as she finally realizes that the man is someone she knows well- someone she's learned about during school.

Tessa sniffles. "You… You're Dr. Banner- the Hulk?" She studies the man, still trembling all over.

Bruce smiles a little, his smile kind. "That's right- but you can just call me Bruce, okay? You've been here in the infirmary a few days. The Captain brought you in the other night when he found you in Brooklyn."

Tessa frowns a little, choosing to remain silent. Bruce breaks the silence, though, trying to ease Tessa into speaking. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Teresa, but I like to be called Tessa."

Bruce nods in acknowledgment. " _Tessa._ Well, we've ran some tests while you've been out and it looks like you're pretty sick. Blood work showed all sort of vitamin and mineral deficiencies; you have anemia. Your blood sugar was bottoming out and the liquid nutrition was doing nothing for you." Then, he frowns a little and his brow furrows in concern. "Your blood tests showed you have a nasty bug, too- a parasite. I ran some antibiotics in hopes of kicking the critters out of there."

Inside of her, Wraith makes a sound and Tessa struggles not to laugh. " _Did that man really just call me a 'critter,' Tess? I can live with parasite, but critter makes me sound cute. I am not cute."_

"Since you're awake, would you like to go with me upstairs? You look like you could use some company and we're making breakfast," Bruce offers.

Tessa nods. "I...I'd like that a lot. I'm hungry."

"Excellent. C'mon; I think that Pepper is making waffles."

Tessa follows after Bruce, staying a few steps behind him as they walk. He leads her towards an elevator to take them up to another floor, carefully herding the teenager inside.

Then, she comes to a quiet realization. _**Holy shit, I'm meeting the Avengers. Wraith, we get to meet the Avengers**_ **!**

The symbiote scoffs at her enthusiasm. " _The Avengers? You mean that Tony Stark fellow you drool over all the time."_

 _ **Yes! And Captain America and Black Widow and Hawkeye…**_

" _Hmmm…I like this Black Widow,"_ says Wraith in his low, rumbling voice. " _She's the Russian, isn't she?"_

 _ **Yes. What is it to you?**_

" _I wonder what Russian tastes like."_

Tessa scowls at the symbiote- she scowls even more when he starts chuckling darkly. During their ride up, Bruce coughs lowly and Tessa looks up at him, her brow furrowed.

Bruce raises an eyebrow. "Are you okay? You're making faces. If you're in any pain, I can give you a mild painkiller."

"No! I mean- _no,_ I'm fine. I was just deep in thought," says Tessa, wishing that there was some way she could strangle Wraith.

Bruce only shrugs, dismissing the matter as quickly as it occurred. He doesn't say anything else until the elevator comes to a stop and he motions her forwards.

"The guys will be a little intimidating at first- especially Nat and Tony. I'm sure you'll get along great with Cap and Pepper and Clint, though," Bruce says, the two of them stepping into a living space where she can hear people cackling from the kitchen.

Tessa smiles a little. "That's comforting, I guess."

Once they step into the dining room, dread takes over Tessa. All eyes fall on her and she looks everyone over. Despite their familiarity to Tessa, she doesn't truly know any of these people outside of whatever she was told in school or what she seen on TV.

Tony gives her a once-over, lifting an eyebrow. "So you're the kid I've been told about? You have a name?"

"Teresa Travis," Tessa answers. "I go by Tessa."

"It's a lot better than Little Girl Lost," says Clint with the roll of his eyes. He narrows his eyes at Tony who obviously came up with the nickname. "He's called you all sorts of stuff the last few days."

Tony just rolls his eyes. "That's besides the point. It's _very_ nice to meet you, Tessa." The man pats the chair next to his, offering a lopsided smile. "Breakfast will be done shortly. Sit down and tell us some stuff about you."

So, she sits down next to the genius per his request. She chats quietly with the group, steering clear of certain topics. All the while, she feels Wraith coil inside her comfortingly- he circles around her stomach and travels up her back; finally, he settles in her chest close to where her heart is.

Natasha gives the teen a look. "So, how long have you been on your own?"

"It's been us- I mean _me-_ for a while. I've been alone for a long time," Tessa replies. What she says isn't necessarily a lie. She closes her eyes, blurred images of her mother's body and the stench of blood invading her senses. She shudders. "My mom's dead, never met my dad…"

There's a small cough from Steve who gives her a concerned look. "Why were you by yourself on the streets? Isn't there a program for kids without parents?"

Tessa shrugs, twiddling her thumbs. Then, Steve asks another question. "Were you in trouble when I found you? You can tell us the truth."

The teen shakes her head quickly. "It was just a really rough night. I've just been so tired and hungry and it's hard to stay away from the wrong people. Bad things like to happen to me."

Steve reaches across the table, his large hand dwarfing Tessa's. The teenager is mesmerized by human touch, not having felt it in so long. Her constant companion was the symbiote who was all she needed- all she ever needed. He's all she still needs.

"We're gonna make sure nothing bad happens to you, okay?" Steve reassures, squeezing Tessa's little hand. Inside of her, Tessa can feel Wraith begin to carefully move through her, his tendrils branching just under the skin of her palm as though to feel Steve himself.

Tessa nods, smiling weakly. "Thank you, Mr. Rogers."

"Call me Steve, Tessa," says the Captain. He releases her hand and their wait on breakfast is ended when Bruce and Pepper comes to the table with their arms laden with platters.

Wraith perks up a little inside her. " _What are those, Tessa?"_ Tessa takes in sight of the mountains of fluffy waffles stacked high on three plates- enough to feed a hungry genius and his girlfriend, a raging green fellow, an assassin, an excellent marksman, and a super soldier.

Enough to feed a host and her hungry symbiote.

 _ **They're waffles. You'll like them- promise.**_

" _I'm holding you to that. And make sure you get the strawberries- I love strawberries."_

Tessa smiles a little, looking down at the plate that Pepper tucked into her hands. _**Your wish is my command.**_

Then, once she has approval, she begins to fill her plate with food she hasn't had in a long time. If it wasn't for her self control and Wraith's, the food would already be gone along with the plate...and half the table.

And maybe someone's limbs if Wraith happened to get his way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my Avenger and Venom fan-base! I apologize for the much overdue update. Yours truly has been sick and my asthma is out of control...and work is awful. But here is a new chapter that will hopefully impress everyone!**

 **Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter and thanks for the information and insights given! They were truly appreciated!**

 **P.S: I am no doctor, so any medical references are what Google graced me with.**

 **Everyone enjoy!**

 _She ignores the baffled stares when she's seen eating seven waffles._

For the moment, all that mattered was her stomach being settled. The annoying pull of Wraith's hunger was even muted by the large intake of food, making Tessa feel the fullest she's been in months.

Tony gives her a look as he spears a piece of his strawberry. "Bruce said you have a parasite. Is this some kind of mutant tapeworm?"

Tessa sips at her third glass of juice, grinning a little when she hears Wraith protest at being called a "tapeworm." Across the table, Bruce gives her a worried look and he frowns. "I gave her an antibiotic that should have killed anything in her system. Maybe it's from being so malnourished…"

"I'm not worried about her bug or whatever. I'm worried that she's going to projectile vomit everywhere," Tony grumbles. "I've _never_ seen someone eat as much as Cap does, and this girl put him to shame!"

Bruce only frowns a little, scratching his head. Tessa loses her appetite at this, picking at her plate now and she just sips at her juice. Her eyes dance around the room, taking in the several pairs of eyes staring at her.

Next to her, she feels Steve nudge her. "If you're hungry, eat. Bruce can check over you later."

Bruce makes a sound. "I would like to get a few more blood samples. Maybe we can start out with that and I can run a few other tests."

"Just stop terrorizing the kid. Once she's finished, Bruce can take her back to the MedBay for tests and all that good stuff," Steve rumbles lowly, pushing more waffles towards Tessa. He gives her a gentle smile, his eyes warm and caring. "Ignore them. If you're hungry, you can eat more."

Tessa shakes her head, pushing the plate away. "I'm good- really. I don't think it was a good idea to eat that much anyway." She finishes her orange juice, giving the Captain a slight nod. "Thank you, Captain."

Steve shakes his head. "Don't mention it. Also- call me Steve."

"Steve," Tessa amends, smiling shyly.

Then, there's a tense silence between the lot of them. Tessa looks around the room, unsure of what to think to be amongst her biggest heroes. She can even feel Wraith moving inside her, nervous of these Avengers.

Bruce breaks the silence, pushing back his plate and standing. "Well, if you'd like, let's go back to the MedBay. We can start with some lab work and work from there."

Tessa nods after a moment, standing to her feet after profusely thanking Pepper for breakfast, smiling all the while. Then, she's trodding behind Bruce back to the elevator, the doctor standing next to her as they take the elevator downwards.

…

Tessa looks to Bruce with wide eyes as she listens to the machine hum lowly.

Tessa has been laid on a metal table, dressed in a simple hospital gown. Bruce is across the room, hidden behind a wall with a large pane of glass separating them. Joining them is Tony and Steve, both men looking between her and Bruce.

"Is this necessary?" Tessa squeaks, looking to Bruce as the man presses a series of buttons. "I'm _sure_ there are other ways to see what's going on with me."

Bruce clicks a button, his voice filtering into the room. "The CT Scan will give me a clearer image of you. I can see if there's anything... _wrong_ in there."

"So you're shoving me into a hole of darkness to check my insides?"

"It won't be long. Just lie back and relax- _and stay still._ The machine will prompt you when to breathe and everything," explains Bruce, giving Tessa a reassuring smile.

The teenager nods nervously, lying back and struggling to get comfortable. She feels the table begin to slide back, suspending her into darkness. Then, red lights come to life inside the machine and she hears a low whirring.

" _Okay, kid, we're going to start the test, okay?"_ Bruce says, his voice filtering through a speaker. " _Just relax and breathe when the machine tells you to."_

Then, the machine comes to life. At first, she notices nothing off. After a few seconds, there's a ringing in her ears that's uncomfortable. Within moments, she's screaming and convulsing, pain exploding through her skull and she hears Wraith.

 _Stop it!_ Wraith's voice screeches and all Tessa can do is scream for them to stop the test. She struggles to keep her voice straight, Wraith's dark rumble escaping a few times until she's finally pulled from the machine by a worried Bruce and a terrified Steve.

Bruce quickly rights her, sitting her up on the table. He feels her pulse and listens to her breathing, looking at her with wide eyes. "Tessa? Are you okay?"

She releases a trembling breathe, trying to breathe through the pain. "I-I'm sorry. I just got scared..couldn't breathe."

"It's okay," Bruce soothes, rubbing her back. "We won't do a CT or and MRI, then. Maybe we can use the X-Ray machine or I can do an ultrasound...we'll figure it out."

Tessa feels Steve help her stand and she looks up at the Captain. "Come on, squirt. Tests are done for today. We can sit in the recreation room and watch a movie."

The teen gives a trembling nod, letting Steve walk her out of the lab and back up to the living area. When he leads her to the living room, they sit together while he gives her a vague explanation of how to use the television and introducing her to Tony's AI system, FRIDAY.

Once they settle on a movie- a movie called Tag featuring Jeremy Renner, a dead ringer for Clint Barton- they sit on the large sectional where they're soon joined by Clint and Natasha.

Tessa's mind strays from the movie and she quietly talks to Wraith, the being oddly quiet since they woke up.

 _ **Wraith? You okay?**_

 _I feel unwell. The noise decibel from that machine caused us both pain. I didn't think to tell you._

 _ **Don't**_ _**worry about it. It didn't kill us, did it?**_

 _It potentially can. A noise decibel high enough can severely damage us._

 _ **Noted.**_

Then, the symbiote falls silent and Tessa is left to watch the movie. Wraith makes occasional comments on it- usually on how he likes Jerry and says a few horrid comments on Sable.

She smiles to herself, enjoying herself for what feels like the first time in years. She feels safe and comfortable here, what having happened just days ago.

She'll enjoy it, even if it's just for a little while.

…

 _~Bruce~_

 _He stares with wide eyes at the test results from the blood samples._

 _How is this girl even standing?_

Bruce reads each individual result over and over again, making sure he's seeing everything correctly. He checked over every single organ in her body, and Bruce struggles with himself not to go upstairs and drag Tessa down to MedBay to keep her there permanently.

Everything here says this girl should be on her deathbed. Her liver enzymes are almost next to nothing, her RBC and WBC counts are bottomed out; her GFR is low, suggesting her kidneys are beginning to fail her; her heart isn't pumping as much blood as it should, signaling early heart failure.

All of her major organs are shutting down. How is she living when everything is failing her?

The doctor pinches the bridge of his nose, wondering what to do with Tessa. Under any normal circumstances, a person in her shoes would be in the hospital going through dialysis, blood transfusions, and so many other things. Hell, they'd be written off- sent to a hospice.

So what is making Tessa Travis live and thrive? She looks happy and healthy besides a few bumps and bruises. She was exhausted, too. But it never insinuated that she was knocking on death's door. When he saw her at breakfast, her food intake rivaled his and Steve's. She laughed and talked and smiled.

What has made her so sick?

Bruce places the papers down, traveling to his computer to see about his CT Scans. Despite Tessa's panic attacks, he got one good shot of her abdomen before having to stop the scan. He pulls up the one good scan, and his brow furrows at he sees.

 _There's something inside her._

He sees a dark object sitting just below her stomach, hidden a little behind her intestines. It's not a blockage of any sort, but a _thing_. It has long tendrils and it seems to have been moving before he took the scan.

That's impossible though, isn't it?

He releases a trembling breathe, knowing he'd have to poke and prod more at Tessa in order to get more blood samples. Then, it'd take a miracle to get an ultrasound or anything without her freaking out.

The door to the lab opens, revealing an amused looking Tony. "The kid's asleep. She's hugged all up to Cap and...Bruce? What's wrong with you? Do I have to worry about the Other Guy?"

Bruce pushes over the blood test results. "Look at what we found with the blood samples. Tell me it's weird."

Tony frowns, but begins searching through the papers. Then, his dark eyes cut to Bruce. "All of her organs are shutting down. Liver failure, renal failure, heart failure… Hell, she's even anemic and has no immune system."

"That's not all of it. Come look," Bruce says, pulling Tony with him and points to the computer screen. " _Look."_

Tony frowns. "I don't see anything but a big dark spot where her guts are. Think she's constipated, too?"

Bruce grumbles, slapping Tony. "No! It's a _thing_ , Tony. Something is inside of her, and it's killing her."

"I _knew_ it! She has a mutant parasite," Tony exclaims. Then, he clucks his tongue. "She's got one hell of a tapeworm, though."

"This isn't a tapeworm," Bruce says flatly. "But whatever _it_ is, it's killing her."

Tony huffs, rubbing his temples. "Well, why you figure out how to remove said parasite, I will be upstairs with Spangles, the Ninjas, and Little Red. Come upstairs when you're ready, Dr. Jekyll." Then, Tony flees the lab and disappears back upstairs to terrorize their little ragtag family.

Bruce, though, stays behind to figure out how to save Tessa's life


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are simply amazing. I don't think there's any other way to say it. I appreciate each and everyone of you who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. It's an inspiration and a motivation to write this story.**

 **I can only hope everyone keeps reading and reviewing this story. I'm thankful for everyone who is checking this story out and please continue to give feedback.**

 **Read and Review!**

* * *

 _~Tessa~_

 _She stands beneath the shower's spray, letting the water warm her chilled body._

Pepper had given her some clothes and sent her to shower once she had woke up a little while ago. Tessa was thankful for it, her body sweaty and dirty from two days spent unconscious.

Tessa leans against the shower wall, letting the water rain over her. She lets herself enjoy it, not used to warm water. The water heater at her apartment was faulty at best and never heated correctly, so Tessa often took freezing cold showers.

She pushes her hair from her face, reaching out to grab the bottle of shampoo sitting on a small shelf. Tessa squeezes some into her hand and begins to lather it into her hair, creating a bubbly mess.

As she's rinsing her hair, she hears Wraith's familiar rumble. " _You're sad, Tessa."_

Tessa sighs heavily. "I'm fine, Wraith." She grabs the conditioner next, squeezing an unreasonable amount of shampoo into her hands to rub it into her hair.

" _I often know your thoughts before you do, Tessa,"_ says Wraith quietly.

"What have we talked about invasions of privacy?" Tessa mutters, working the sweet smelling conditioner through her hair.

Wraith laughs lowly. " _When have I listened to you?"_

"Not ever, really," Tessa chuckles.

They're both suspended into a sudden silence after that. Tessa just continues to scrub herself clean and lets the hot water pound against her sore muscles. Then, when Tessa is only leaning up against the shower well does Wraith begin to speak. " _You miss her."_

Immediately, Tessa feels her lower lip begin to wobble and her eyes flood with tears. She releases a trembling breath, trying to ignore the fact that she misses her mother. Her mother, who done everything but love her and take care of her, is gone. She has no one left. No family.

She has an army of freaks after her and she doesn't know what to do.

All she has at the moment is a symbiote and a little bit of hope left. Maybe it's all she needs.

"It's just gonna be us, isn't it?"

" _It's only been us. Always been us."_

Tessa sniffles a little, collecting herself quickly. She hates crying- doesn't like that it makes her unable to breathe; doesn't like her eyes swelling; doesn't like the tightness in her chest after she had cried and sobbed and wheezed.

Wraith moves around inside her. He coils in her chest, trying to be comforting. " _Be brave. We're going to be fine, Tess."_

"I know," Tessa whispers, switching the water off and she steps out of the shower. She begins the process of drying herself; she wraps her hair in a towel and dries the rest of her body quickly so she doesn't chill.

Then, she dresses in the clothes Pepper left her. She's dressed in black leggings and a red nightshirt, both of them huge on her. After drying her hair, both towels are placed in a nearby hamper and she ventures out into the hallway, venturing towards the living area where the Avengers are.

She stays in the hall, watching nervously. Tessa finds herself wary of this group of people, unsure of what to think. She likes them well enough, but doesn't trust them with the knowledge of Wraith. What would happen if they found out about Wraith? Hand her over to the government for experiments? Send her to the Life Foundation?

She knows she'll be used as either an experiment or as a biological weapon.

"Kid! Come and sit down. I promise I'll stop teasing you about falling asleep on Cap," Tony bellows, patting the couch cushion next to him.

Tessa narrows her eyes a little. She can hear Wraith cackling and she mumbles harshly for him to shut up. The teenager walks into the living room, settling on the couch and she meets Tony's smug smile with a glare.

"Hey, I'm just kidding," Tony says, hiding his laughter with a cough.

Tessa glares. Wraith just laughs harder. " _W-What do you want me to do?"_

 _ **Can it, jerk.**_

Steve makes a sound. "Leave her alone. Tess was just tired and I didn't think a think about it. Besides...it seems she just might like me better." He smiles widely at Tony who scowls at the Captain, arms crossed like a stubborn toddler.

Tessa grins a little, trying to hide her smile. She listens to the Avengers' friendly banter for a while, choosing not to say anything. Even Wraith doesn't speak, contented to listen to the Avengers talk.

The conversation is cut short when Bruce steps into the room, giving a small, half-hearted knock. In his hands he carries some vials, alcohol wipes, and what looks to be a needle.

"Hey, Tessa," Bruce says, offering a slight smile. She hasn't seen Bruce since he ran the tests from earlier. According to Tony, he's been holed up in his lab and Tessa chose not to question it. "Do you care if I get some blood right quick? It'll be the last samples I'll get from you."

Tessa frowns, holding the bend of her arm. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're treating me like a lab experiment."

Bruce gives her a sad smile. "I'm just making sure you're healthy. It's just to check organ functions and other stuff."

Huffing, the teenager holds out her arm. She watches Bruce tear open an alcohol wipe, swabbing the inside of her elbow to clean away germs. Then, he begins probing her arm for a vein. During this, Tessa hears Tony cough. "While Bruce here drains Tessa of blood, I think I'm going to order dinner. Does pizza sound okay to everyone?"

The entire Avengers team gives sounds of agreement. Tessa chuckles, looking down to Bruce who already has stuck the needle in her arm, drawing her blood into a vial.

"Okay, then. I know I want a meat lover's pizza," Tony says, typing into a tablet. "Anyone know for sure what they want?"

Then, there's laughter from Clint. "Of course you're a meat lover." Tessa sucks in a deep breath, struggling not to laugh. Bruce, who kneels before her, is chuckling as he pulls the needle from her arm now. He has three vials of blood in his hand and the other holds a gauze pad that he places in the crook of her arm.

"Shut your mouth, Bird-Brain. One more off comment and you'll starve," Tony says, eyes narrowed.

Bruce gives her a small smile. "Ignore these idiots and you'll be just fine here."

"Thank you, Dr. Banner," Tessa says.

He ruffles her hair, a foreign action to Tessa. The teenager recalls her mother doing it a few times when she wasn't completely strung out on whatever drugs she got hold of. "You're welcome, Tessa. I'm going down to the lab to get these processed. I'll be back later."

Then, the scientist disappears and Tessa is left with a muttering Tony Stark and the three other laughing Avengers and a snickering Pepper Potts.

Tony huffs. "So, I have a large vegetable pizza for Cap- which is disgusting, by the way. A pizza with green olives and green peppers for Nat… Then I have pepperoni for Miss Potts." Then, Tony points to Tessa, lifting an eyebrow. "What does the Human Vacuum want for dinner?"

"Pepperoni pizza is fine," Tessa answers meekly.

"Excellent. Now...what does Bird Brain want?"

Clint chortles. "I'll just have some of your meat."

Tony frowns and Tessa covers her mouth, struggling not to laugh. "I really don't like any of you right now." Then, the genius stalks off to order the pizzas, grumbling to himself about Clint.

" _I like these people, Tessa,"_ Wraith rumbles.

 _ **They're definitely something else.**_

…

 _Tessa's given a guest room on the penthouse floor_.

She looks around the room, in awe of all the space. This one room is bigger than the apartment she shared with her mother. The walls are painted a reddish-brown color with simple decorations on them; against the far wall is a bad draped in red and white bed sheets; there is also a wardrobe on the wall opposite the bed with a TV mounted above it. In the corner, where there are ceiling-to-floor length windows, there is a desk with a chair so one could overlook New York City. Then, there is a door that leads into an en-suite bathroom that Tessa hasn't got to check out.

"This is real fancy," Tessa says, looking around the bedroom. "I haven't seen a place that looks this good in a long time."

 _We've never seen a place that looks like this._

Tessa walks to the bed, feeling the satiny-smooth bed covers. She recalls that her bed was hardly big enough to accommodate her; she had a few pillows that she had sewn up many times and a threadbare blanket that was thin from its years of usage.

She's looking around the room when she hears a knock. Tessa looks over her shoulder to see Tony enter the room, Pepper close behind him.

"Hey, kid," Tony says, offering a lopsided smile. "What do you think about the room?"

Tessa shrugs. "I didn't know just a bedroom could be so big. My apartment could have fit in here."

"It's...different. I know," says Tony. "You might be here a while yet while Bruce makes sure you're fit to be up and running by yourself. He's still convinced you're deathly ill."

"It's just a bug," Tessa shrugs, almost afraid to sit down on the bed.

Pepper smiles gently. "Bug or not, we want you to be okay. I'm fairly sure you're healthy, though- you ate a whole pizza by yourself."

Tessa blushes a little, smiling crookedly. It earns her laughs from Tony and Pepper and she blushes harder, rolling her eyes. "So as long as you didn't waste it, kid. But you had better get some sleep, kiddie. It's getting late."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Tessa says, offering the man a small smile.

"You're welcome," Tony says. "And don't call me Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark was my father, and he was a jerk. Do I look like a jerk?"

Pepper gives him a look. "That's debatable." Then, she crosses the floor to Tessa and the teenager finds herself pulled into a hug by the red head. Tessa freezes, thrown off by the contact. Then, she melts into the hug and smiles a little. "Get some sleep, Tessa. Me and Tony are down the hall if you need anything and FRIDAY is always listening if you can't get to us."

"Okay. Thank you, Pepper," Tessa says gently, releasing the woman from the hug.

"Goodnight," Pepper says, squeezing Tessa's shoulder. Then, she's out of the room and only Tony is left standing.

"Sleep tight, Tessa. Just...get us if you need something," Tony says, looking uncomfortable being the adult in this situation.

Tessa decides that's good, because she feels pretty dang uncomfortable, too. "Thank you.

Goodnight, Tony."

Tony shuts the door after that, leaving Tessa by herself. She sits down on the bed, entirely unsure of what to do with herself now that she is alone.

" _Rest, Tessa,"_ Wraith says. " _We both need it."_

Tessa nods, climbing into the king sized bed. She pulls back the blankets, moving pillows around until she has made a comfortable little nest of blankets and sheets and pillows.

As she lies there, she releases a small sound. "Wraith?" Her voice barely is a whisper.

" _Yes?"_

"You got us?" Tessa asks. She feels frightened to fall asleep...scared of this new place. She's scared of what could lurk just outside her door.

" _First sign of danger and we'll be well on our way somewhere else,"_ Wraith answers. " _Now sleep."_

…

 _Bullets. The splattering and smell of fresh blood. Bodies laying all over the place._

 _Her mother's body is at her feet. Tessa screams so she'll wake up, but she doesn't move. The same bullet wound is in her head, her blood making up for the sea of red Tessa is walking in._

 _Tessa muffles her sobs when she hears whirring of an engine and the drawing of a bow. She stands up, turning to look over her shoulder. The teenager can make out the Avengers, Steve and Tony standing at the front of their group. Tony's blasters are firing up, Steve has readied his shield, the Hulk is in all his glory, Clint has his bow drawn, and Natasha has guns._

 _They're going to kill her._

 _Then, Steve utters one word before he leads their attack. "Monster."_

…

Tessa wakes with a start.

The room is dark and she can't see a thing. The only sound she can hear is her ragged breathing which is combined with Wraith's low, protective growl.

Overhead, Tessa hears a voice. "Miss Travis? Are you okay?"

Tessa releases a trembling breath. She gulps, looking up to the ceiling. The voice belongs to the AI system, FRIDAY. "I'm fine." Tessa's voice is a dark, husky mix between hers and Wraith's and she covers her mouth in horror. Once Tessa is sure that she and Wraith are both calm, she speaks again. "I'm fine. Just...will you turn the lights on? Please?"

The lights flicker on just as quickly as Tessa commanded. The teenager looks down at her arms, finding that her exposed skin is covered in black tendrils. She hugs her hands to her chest, trying to ignore the tremors wracking her body.

" _Are you okay, Tessa?"_

Tessa nods. "I'm fine."

So, she sits in silence a few moments, trying to collect her nerves. Tessa tried to convince herself she's safe; tries to convince herself that Wraith is safe.

She tries to convince herself that she's not a monster.

FRIDAY's voice filters through the room again. "Shall I contact Boss or get Ms. Potts?"

"No, thank you," Tessa responds. Then, she falls silent a moment. "Can you show me where the glasses are? I'd like some water."

"When you go into the kitchen, they are in the cupboard over the sink," FRIDAY supplies happily.

Tessa extends her thanks to the AI before leaving her room. She pads to the kitchen in search of the glasses, opening the cupboard quickly and grabs the first glass she sees. Tessa fills the glass up at the tap, drinking the ice cold water quickly. She fills the glass again and drinks another at a slower pace.

Once she's finished with the glass, she quickly washes the cup before drying it and putting it back in the cupboard. Tessa shuts the cupboard door and turns, only to be met by a concerned looking Bruce.

"Dr. Banner?" Tessa asks, frowning a little.

"I just left something up here. I thought Tony might have been awake when I heard someone messing around," Bruce answers. He offers Tessa a soft smile, trying to be soothing. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Tessa nods a little. "Y-Yeah, but I'm fine."

Bruce inches closer to Tessa. He extends a careful hand, laying it on her head as though to check for fever. Tessa can see he's scared and uncertain, and she's concerned as to what. "Tessa, can you answer something for me? I need you to be honest with me, okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner," Tessa answers, nodding her head.

"Do you feel okay? Do you hurt, or feel tired?" Bruce questions. "Can you breathe fine? Any lightheadedness?"

Tessa nods, furrowing her brow. "I...I feel fine. I'm just tired...and hungry."

Bruce sighs a little, but nods in acknowledgment. "Fine, then. Just...your results say you're worse than you let on. Maybe we can just keep monitoring you- see how you're doing."

"I promise I'll let you know if I feel bad," Tessa offers, trying to smile for the concerned doctor.

Bruce gives a sad smile. "Thank you, Tessa. Now go back to bed. It's late and you look exhausted."

"I will. Thank you, Dr. Banner," Tessa murmurs.

"Goodnight, kid. If you have any bad dreams, tell FRIDAY to buzz me."

Tessa only nods. "Goodnight."

…

 _~Bruce~_

 _He scrolls furiously through his search engine._

The doctor has searched everything he could access, on the internet and off. He used up what knowledge he had of what could be wrong with Tessa. She didn't have sepsis; she wasn't going into any kind of shock.

What was wrong with her?

He searches several medical journals for a possible diagnosis. Anything he comes back with suggests sepsis and infections and shock. All of it angers the doctor and all he can do is regroup himself, look at Tessa's test results that were the same, and continue to search.

Bruce's search seemingly comes to a stop when he stumbles across a Life Foundation article describing some of Tessa's symptoms. _Renal failure, hepatic failure, cardiac failure, pulmonary failure…_ He begins filtering through everything the article has to say, finding that some of these _same_ exact things seem to be wrong with Tessa.

Her organs are seemingly failing; she's eating more than any normal teenager and more; it explains that... _thing_ in her body.

A symbiote. That couldn't be possible though, could it? The report said that the symbiotes died along with their hosts and another two died during in-lab experimentation. There couldn't be anymore.

But, if there is a symbiote left, how could have is skipped by Carlton Drake. Bruce met the man on a few occasions and the man was a pompous asshole who played God. That being said, nothing slipped by Drake as attentive as he was.

Huffing, Bruce scoots in his rolling chair towards the computer to see Tessa's scan again. He plays the scan over and over again until the scan went blurry as she had started convulsing.

"What exactly are you, Teresa Travis?" Bruce asks.

Was she a mutant? Was she a monster? Was she something else that Bruce doesn't know how or what to comprehend and explain?

Then, the doctor looks up to the ceiling, releasing a low sigh. He'd get to the bottom of this, once and for all. "FRIDAY?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"While we have Miss Travis as our guest, I'd like you to watch her closely. Anything...out of the ordinary, _record it_. There's something going on and I don't know what it is."

"I'll be sure to, Doctor. Now I suggest to get some sleep."

"Of course. Thank you, Friday," Bruce says, leaning back in his chair.

 _This girl is going to be a pain before this is all said and done._


	5. Chapter 5

**Alrighty, ladies and germs...I'm sorry for the late update. This last month has been an absolute whirlwind and it has inevitably been one of the biggest obstacles of my life, but God and coffee will see me through this storm.**

 **Anyhow, here is the latest chapter. It's kind of short and maybe a tad bit rushed, but I was excited to write this! I hope you all like it- I went back and revised a ton of it because I wrote half of it while under painkillers, because I was in the hospital with kidney stones (those things are awful. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.)**

 **Everyone enjoy and leave a review!**

* * *

 _~Tessa~_

 _The next few days are spent rather peacefully._

There are no mentions of further tests. Bruce doesn't pester her for anymore blood samples. She's not watched as though she might be a bomb waiting to explode.

Tessa spends quite a bit of time around the Avengers. She clings more to Bruce and Steve than she does anyone else. Small talk is made with Clint and he teases her some. If she's around Natasha any, the spy watches her warily. Then, if she somehow winds up with Tony, the man will awkwardly tell her about his latest projects and describe the newest development on his suits.

She finds herself with Steve today. The wiry teenager follows behind the Super Soldier, listening as he shows her around the Avengers Tower. So far, she knows where to find all the Avengers and knows what things are on each floor. For now, he takes her on the floors where they have all of their training equipment. On one of the floors they had a swimming pool that Tessa was very excited about- though she won't admit it. There were several more features that she truly enjoyed, such as the floor that was suited for the Avengers to fight and train for combat. This floor now holds things like ellipticals and treadmills and stationary bikes. Also, there is some equipment suited for Steve due to his super-soldier strength.

"Mr. Rogers?"

Steve turns to look at Tessa. He raised an eyebrow and offers her a smile. "You don't have to call me that, remember? Makes me feel old."

"Mr. Stark did point out that you are technically almost a hundred…"

"Don't pay any attention to Tony. He'll get you in trouble," Steve says, moving to one of the punching bags.

Tessa grins widely. She laughs a little before giving an apology. "I'm teasing." Then, she stops laughing and gives Steve a lopsided smile. "Thank you, Steve- for finding me. I...don't know where I'd be today if it weren't for you."

 _We'd be dead._ Wraith's voice rumbles lowly and Tessa shakes her head.

Tessa rolls her eyes. " _ **Gee, Wraith. Thanks."**_

 _Sorry. Truth sucks, though._

Steve gives her a careful smile. "Don't worry, Tessa. You...I saw you and you were shaking and I couldn't leave you out there."

Tessa shakes her head. "I just don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for you."

Steve raises an eyebrow. "Don't you have anyone looking for you, Tessa? Any aunts or uncles? Someone who can take care of you?"

"I don't have anyone. Mom's gone and she just told me my dad left us. All of my other family is dead or gone," Tessa rasps, looking down at the floor. She squeezes her eyes closed at the sound of gunshots and the stench of blood. Her stomach rolls and she shudders, looking back to Steve. "I don't have anyone that wants me.

Steve steps close to Tessa, placing a hand on her hair. He strokes her dark hair, giving her a sad smile. "We're gonna make sure you're taken care of, okay?"

"'Kay," Tessa agrees quietly, smiling up at the Captain sullenly.

Steve touches her cheek before nodding towards the door. "C'mon, kid. I'm going to show you some stuff on the upper levels. You've seen the MedBay, but I think you'd like the labs. You interested in science?"

"If the science you are speaking of involves blowing stuff up, I'm all in," Tessa says, grinning brightly. She loved school and science- it was her only escape from her mother and her entire situation. She is two grade levels ahead of what she should have been- she's a junior at her high school instead of having to stay behind in the Freshman class with the others. Chemistry is one of her favorites and more often than not, as long as her teacher approved, she done experiments that were far more advanced than what the high school kids were doing.

And those experiments usually involved explosions.

Steve gives her a look. "You sound like Clint. He's learned enough about Chemistry that he'll send us videos of his kids making pumpkins explode."

Tessa chuckles softly as Steve flocks her to the elevator. With a press of a button, they're lifted up to the upper floors of the Towers. Once the elevator opens, Tessa steps out to see the lab occupied by Bruce and Tony.

"Good afternoon, Little Red," Tony pipes, looking to Tessa. He's standing behind a table, poking at a computer with one hand and he holds a coffee mug in the other. "Have you had your daily dose of patriotism with our dear Captain?"

Tessa struggles to keep from laughing and she watches as Steve's expression turns dark and he narrows his eyes, but heads for the elevator.

"Fine, Commander Buzzkill," Tony rolls his eyes. "Tessa, come over and join the coolest Avenger. Let's put side talking about good deeds and war stories and talk about _Artificial Intelligence_."

Bruce makes a sound. "Don't teach the kid how to make a murder bot."

" _Pshhh_. We're giving FRIDAY an update, not making Ultron Jr. _Therefore_ , get your skinny butt over here, kid, and help me."

Tessa complies happily, standing next to Tony as she watches him click away at the screen. He explains to her the computer programs and the several interfaces he plans for FRIDAY. Bruce joins them and Tessa can only listen to the doctor deadpan that Tony had better not create another mechanical menace, and she chuckles at them the whole time.

 _What is so appealing about a computer? We are superior beings,_ Wraith says proudly, and Tessa rolls her eyes secretly.

" _ **Let me correct you. You are a superior being, I am merely the host. This host happens to enjoy computers,"**_ Tessa shoots back, watching as Tony clicks on a file with details regarding new software technology for FRIDAY.

Wraith makes a sound. _You are a superior being. You host me, which many people cannot do._

" _ **Stop patronizing me**_ _,"_ Tessa thinks, making Wraith laugh.

They spend the afternoon and well into the evening working with FRIDAY, and Tessa excitedly listens and mentally takes notes on how to work with the computer programs. All the while, Wraith groaned and moaned and complained he was bored. Then, he pulled the " _I'm Hungry_ ," card and threatened to eat her liver, which she called his bluff and he pouted the entire time until Natasha called them for dinner.

 _I like the Russian. She doesn't like boring stuff_ _ **.**_

" _ **I can't help that you're mindless and daft,"**_ Tessa thinks as she helps Pepper set the table.

 _One more word and your brain is toast._

" _ **Please. What other host would put up with your annoying ass?"**_

Wraith makes a sound. _Ass_ _ **.**_

" _ **Bitch**_ _."_ Tessa grins darkly as she sets out the plates and scuttles back to the kitchen for the silverware.

 _You take that back! Tessa, I said apologize!_

Tessa smiles and happily ignores her ever-ranting symbiote. As she sets the table, Tessa watches as Pepper carries in some of their food with Bruce helping her, carrying bowls heaped high with vegetables. In the kitchen, Tessa can hear Steve, Tony, and Natasha milling about in the kitchen, grabbing things for dinner.

The teenager gives a timid smile. "You guys need me to grab anything?"

"We've got it, kiddo," Bruce assures with a small smile. "Once you finish here, do you care to go grab Clint? I think he's in the living room."

Tessa only nods in compliance. Once she sets out the last of the cutlery, she speeds off to find Clint who is hidden away in the living room while playing a game of Mario Kart with narrowed eyes, letting loose a string of silent curses when Princess Peach passes him.

"Clint, they have dinner ready," Tessa says. "Sooo...if you've had enough of Mario Kart, come to the dining room."

Huffing, Clint pauses the game and throws the controller aside. "I was tired of getting my ass kicked by Princess Peach, anyways. C'mon, squirt- let's go get some food. I have a bet with Tony that you'll out-eat Steve tonight."

Tessa rolls her eyes, but smiles as she walks along beside of Clint. The marksman ruffles her hair as they walk to the kitchen together, and Tessa finds herself seated between Steve and Clint at the table, her eyes scanning at the mountain of steaks piled at the center of the table along with salad, various vegetables, mashed potatoes, and rolls.

 _Did they cook the steaks bloody?_ Wraith asks excitedly, and Tessa rolls her eyes at his excitement.

" _ **No, you nimrod,**_ " Tessa thinks back as the food is passed around. " _ **Not many people like their steak to moo at them."**_

Wraith growls lowly. _I don't even know what you mean. But, so help me God, if you keep calling me names, I'll eat your heart_ _ **.**_

" _ **Is that a threat?"**_

 _I'll make it a promise if you don't apologize for calling me names._

" _ **I'm shaking**_ **,** " Tessa shoots back, happily accepting the plate of steaks from Steve and she serves herself before passing it on.

 _Ass_

" _ **Bitch**_ _."_

…

 _The rest of her night is spent in the living room._

Clint challenged her to a game of Mario Kart, which Tessa happily accepted. She chose Yoshi while Clint chose Bowser, and Tessa raced her way to victory against the marksman while being cheered on by Tony. Natasha just watches with an amused face and Steve looked confused the entire time, so she put Steve up against Tony, her hands over his as she taught him how to work the controls.

Then, when Steve grew frustrated with Tony's boasting, they watched movies. It was between Star Wars and Split, and Split won the vote four-to-two. The movie was anything but exciting to Tessa, and she dozed lazily on the couch for the entirety of the movie until she felt herself become feather light, curled in someone's arms as they walked.

Her eyes open because of the weightlessness. "I can walk, you know." She knows it's Steve because of the scent of his cologne and the way he carries her as though she's nothing.

"We didn't want to wake you," Steve says. "Why don't you go back to sleep, Tess?"

Tessa only hums, dozing against the super soldier as he steps into her room. He holds her easily in one arm while the other pulls back the bed sheets, and he lays her down after, pulling the covers over her.

Tessa gives the man a sleepy smile. "Thanks, Steve."

"Don't worry about it, kid," Steve says softly. "Goodnight, Tessa."

"'Night," Tessa replies back, her voice slurring as she drifts back into sleep.

…

 _~Bruce~_

" _You know, this is borderline stalking."_

Bruce feels Tony's glare burning into his back, but the scientist thinks nothing of it as he watches the feed FRIDAY provides him with. He watches a tossing and turning Tessa who is sleeping rather fitfully. FRIDAY says that her heart rate and blood pressure is on the rise, and she's in the middle of a REM cycle, signaling she's suffering with a nightmare.

The doctor glares back at Tony. "There's something wrong with this kid. If the right stressors are introduced and once she's been under long enough, we might just see a reaction."

"Tess is a teenager with nightmares," Tony says dismissively. "According to her, she's been through a lot of shit. She's sick and was with the wrong people when Cap found her… I think she's okay."

Bruce shakes his head. "No, you don't understand. We're dealing with something _darker_ than illnesses and nightmares. There's something _in_ her."

"I still think it's a tapeworm. Did you see the way that kid put away those steaks at dinner?" Tony inches closer, looking at Bruce's computer that has several files and notes pulled up. Then, the scientist frowns. " _Dude_. What are you doing reading Carlton Drake's medical journals. He was a creep."

"Albeit, but he was a genius."

"He got blown up by his own rocket," Tony snorts, his dark eyes searching over the several medical journals and notes. "Really? You think she has...a symbiote? Those things were a myth at best."

Bruce shrugs. "It explains the organ failure, the anemia, the vitamin deficiencies… Explains why she isn't dead, because something is obviously supporting her organs. She doesn't have sepsis, she doesn't have an infection, she isn't going into shock. Tessa is something else entirely, and I'm going to find out what."

"Well, while you wait to find out what is wrong with our house guest, I will go to bed because I don't find joy in peeping on teenagers," Tony says, grabbing his empty coffee mug from the computer desk and he starts for the door.

Bruce huffs, but his attention is taken off Tony when a screech rings out through the lab. Both men stare at the screen, watching as Tessa curls to her side and she screams and fights something that isn't there.

Tony gives Bruce a look. "Listen, I get it you're worried about her, but we can't leave her to suffer like that." He looks at the screen, then a few moments later his expression darkens and he stumbles back to the computer. "FRIDAY, pause the footage."

"Yes, Boss," FRIDAY chirps happily. Bruce watched as the footage halts, showing Tessa curled in on her side. He squints his eyes and asks FRIDAY to pan in closer to Tessa. His eyes take in the galaxy of dark tendrils spreading across her entire arm and her shoulder. It's as if a dark hand is rising up from her skin to comfort her.

Bruce swallows hard. "FRIDAY, back it up about thirty seconds. Play it from there."

Tony and Bruce watch with bated breath as Tessa's screeching fills the lab once more. They watch as dark veins rise from beneath her skin, snaking across her arms and over her face like a veil. The veins sink back into her skin only to reappear again, covering her like a blanket this time.

Tony makes a sound, his face paling. " _What the hell is that_?"

"Tessa's a host," Bruce chokes out breathlessly. "She has a _symbiote_ , Tony. Those things are all supposed to be _dead_. They all died in Carlton Drake's experiments."

"So...what do we do?" Tony asks. "That... _thing_ is in my guest room, Bruce."

Bruce frowns deeply. "If they wanted to hurt us, they would have. Tessa is much too timid and the symbiote is just as scared of us as we are of it. Besides, if we were a danger, it would have came after us by now."

"Should we wake her up?" Tony asks hoarsely.

Bruce shakes his head. He continues to watch Tessa, and she has finally settled herself down. She rests on her stomach, still breathing a little heavy and he can hear her crying a little. All he can focus on is her and the dark veins pulsing across her skin, and he can see that it's comforting her. "Let her sleep. I'll confront her about this in the morning. There's a reason why she didn't tell us, Tony."

"Well… Okay, but I think I'm staying down here tonight," Tony says in a trembling voice.

Bruce only nods, watching as a clearly shaken Tony scuttles towards the back of their lab to work more on FRIDAY. Then, Bruce diverts his eyes back to the screen so he can watch Tessa, and he sighs heavily while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"God, kid, what have you gotten yourself into?" Bruce asks tiredly, shaking his head as he watches the dark tendrils move across Tessa's body


End file.
